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*******
Aditya's Pov
Half-asleep, I rubbed my bleary eyes as soon as the golden-orangish hue seeped into our room. It was amusing yet so satisfying to witness these tanned streaks of sunlight struggling to enter the room in full and weave into these beautiful undulating pleats of dark and light, golden and white, as if it's nothing but some natural graffiti playing its own little ministrations on the room walls.
Yawning, and simultaneously stretching my arms, I glanced rightways, and It wouldn't be an understatement that I was shocked to the core the moment my wife came into the line of my vision.
No! It wasn't a cuddly-wuddly, gushy-mushy romantic morning for us. So stop thinking suggestively, Please!
Also No! She wasn't cocooned in my arms protectively, and romantically embracing me by wounding her arms around my stomach.
Oh Please No! For God's Sake, she wasn't tucked up under my chin, with her mouth pressed seductively at the side of my neck.
And No! Her rhythmic breathing wasn't fanning my neck into soft and slow blows.
And yeah, No! No tingling sensations were there in my stomach, nor any goosebumps on my skin, making me shiver. At least not now!
Also, No! My one arm wasn't tucked under her head, supporting it, and the other caressing her waist into gentle, sensuous strokes.
Just No!! Please!
Instead, I saw a sleeping mummy beside me, all covered with a white quilt from all sides. That white sheet of fabric was articulately tucked under her head, her legs, her back, her arms, and every possible body part that could be used to tuck the sheet beneath her.
How the hell is she even breathing?
She shifted a little, still in sleep, and took a turn towards my side, still covered in the quilt which she drowsily yet bossily demanded from me late at night. Yeah! she woke me up again an hour or two later after she took hold of that cuddle pillow of hers.
My wife can't tolerate AC for long hours. Pretty sensitive to the cold she is!
Taking off the quilt from her face, with her eyes still closed, she groggily took hold of the corners of the white sheet, which she had carefully set under the quilt for extra protection from cold, and rolling it once, she stretched the sheet in her hand and covered her eyes in a manner so that the sheet could only cover her eyes and nothing else.
What the hell!
Five minutes passed by, and I kept looking at her unblinkingly for her next bufoonish antic, simultaneously trying to comprehend this antique piece, better known as my wife.
Finally, she took off the sheet from her face after a minute or two, but wrapped it up to her neck, as if the room's temperature is as cold as the waters of Antarctica.
Straightening on her back, she hugged her pillow tightly, placing it on her stomach, and opened her eyes slowly, and glanced at the ceiling, still in a daze.
Bewildered with the view, she shook her head softly, and shut her eyes again, and turned towards my side.
A few seconds later, she opened her eyes again and stared at me, a frownsome expression marred on her face, lips pouted in confusion, her eyes half-closed, full of sleep, and her otherwise straight hair as messy as it could be.
"We are married. Remember?" I voiced, reminding her, raising my eyebrow questionably, thoroughly entertained by the free entertainment show she has shown me on the first morning after our wedding itself.
A hint of realization crossed her face and groaning lightly, she shut her eyes tightly and pressed her face into the pillow, simultaneously rubbing the side of her eyes to remove the remnants of sleep.
While I kept looking at her, my lips suppressed, trying my best not to laugh my heart out at this strange woman beside me.
"Stop chuckling! It's not every day I see myself sleeping with a man." She mumbled sulkily, half asleep already.
"Yeah Yeah, as if I see myself sleeping with a woman every morning haina." I rolled my eyes, pressing my lips in a thin line, smiling sarcastically at her comment.
She peeped through her half-opened eyes, a little scowl gracing her face, "Such a nice way to start our first morning. People say Good Morning, and Wow! We are playing Sarcastic Morning!"
She grumbled animatedly, eyeing me disapprovingly.
"Lae, you talk about Good morning, I was thinking of a romantic morning." Winking, I passed a suggestive smirk, "But I had no idea that my wife would be sleeping like a log, that too covering herself up as some Egyptian mummy." I teased, wiggling my brows playfully.
"Haww!" She whined, " I am not a mummy, I sleep like this only." She pouted, "You need to get used to it."
"I am already very much used to you," I whispered, looking at her admiringly.
She blushed under my gaze, as she downcasted her eyes the exact stance, and kept looking in space as if avoiding any intense eye-lock with me.
"Yaar. Stop staring now." She whined, with a red hue creeping on her cheeks.
Chuckling, I raked my hands in my hair, "Good morning Wife." I spoke softly, tucking a few tendrils of her hair behind her ears.
"Good morning Husband." She whispered tenderly, matching my intense gaze, her beautiful shy smile beguiling me, and our eyes locking in a competition of its own.
"You want to freshen up first, or should I go?" I asked a few seconds later, after we composed ourselves.
Her eyes widened, as she rose on her side in a jolt, and stated rushedly, "No no no. I'll go first." Getting down from the bed, she looked here and there bewildered, and picked her blue bag,
"God, I have to freshen up, bath, get ready, tie saree, and God, I have to apply that stupid makeup too. So much work to do. So much work to do." She blabbered animatedly.
"You wasted my time!" She pointed out sulkily, "Mumma told us to come downstairs at 8, it's already 6:45! How will I manage now?" She question scowled, more like questioned herself, and scurried to the dressing room, pouting and glowering, and shut the curtains behind.
This woman of mine is surely a rare species, only found in the land of Kansal's.
Paagal!
*****
Riya's Pov
Wearing a simple Kurti, I came out of the washroom, and then into the room to see my husband engrossed in his phone.
"Aditya, you can use the washroom now." I called out.
"Hmm." He hummed nonchalantly, his sole attention on that stupid device "Huh? You said you will be wearing a saree today?" He furrowed his eyebrows as soon as he lifted his eyes off the phone.
"Yeah, but first you'll go to the washroom na, then I'll change. You've to cross the dressing to go to the washroom." I reminded him, a bit awkwardly.
"O! Uh yeah." He passed an awkward smile, and got up from the bed, to the dressing, "You need anything?" He asked turning around.
"Mhm" I shook my head, looking at the wall clock, figuring out how much more time I have to dress up.
"Okay." Taking out his clothes, he entered the washroom, and I began dressing up myself.
******
"Aajau?" I heard Aditya say, knocking from the inside of the washroom.
"Hanji." I smiled, realizing how effortlessly he respects my space.
"Oye! You got ready so fast." He gushed, his eyes twinkling as soon as he exited the washroom in black jeans and red and black checkered shirt.
He dressed up in the washroom itself!
I giggled at him, and said, "You took forty minutes inside the washroom, and I only took twenty." Proudly, I wiggled my eyebrows at him, "You take more time than females." Teasingly, I stuck my tongue out at him.
Rolling his eyes amusedly, he raked his hands in his wet hair, and mumbled staring at himself in the mirror, "Han han whatever".
A second or two later, he stole a quick glance at me, from top to bottom, from the mirror itself, eyeing my red banarsee saree look, as I stood in front of him applying my lipstick.
"Okay na?" I asked, questionably indicating with my eyes.
"Perfect." He whispered, his eyes filled with admiration, and his magnificent dimpled smile at display.
However, his expression suddenly changed from admiration to confusion as he turned me around, and commented, knitting his brows, peering at me closely with narrowed eyes, "Something is missing."
"Nahi to." Perplexed, I replied.
"Oye you didn't apply that black-black on your eyes." He voiced suddenly, lightly touching my eyes.
I angled my neck towards the mirror, and muttered, "I did, see this kajal." I pointed at my kajal-clad eyes.
"Arey no, the thing you apply here. It was looking so beautiful on you on the day of our wedding." He turned my face towards himself again, and touched my eyelids.
Oh! Eyeliner is the Black-Black for my husband!
"I don't know how to apply eyeliner." I scowled at myself, and suddenly regretted not listening to mom before the wedding.
She would always say, han han don't follow what I say now, do things at your own will. But when the time will come, you will remember your mom and think that I should have listened to her.
Tucking the loose tendril behind my ear, he smiled, "So what, you still look perfect."
"No! I want to apply it now." I whined., wanting to apply it, for him.
"Lae." He shook his head at my stubbornness, "Acha shall I call Isha? She'll apply it on you." He suggested.
"No." I mumbled instantaneously, not ready to get embarrassed in front of my highly fashionable sister-in-law, and give her the impression I don't even know a basic makeup thing.
Sighing, he voiced, his tone doubtful, "Main Laga du?"
Hain?
I glanced at him, trying to figure out if he's jesting or not, but the sincere expression on his face reflected otherwise.
"Arey yaar, don't worry my art and craft was excellent in school." He reasoned.
Horrified, I gaped at him, "For God's Sake Aditya my face is not your canvas that you want to paint me up!"
Rolling his eyes, he vocalized, "Ohho relax, I am not going to paint you up, In fact, In Isha'a language, what does she say, umm, haan doll you up."
I was at a crossroads that should I smile at his words or be terrified of them.
"You'll not ruin it na pakka?" I peered at him expectantly.
"Teri Kasam." He assured, smiling gently, "Chal sit now, let the makeup artist Aditya get to work." He announced, settling me on the dressing stool by holding onto my shoulders.
"Here." I handed him the eyeliner, though inside I was a nervous wreck, but too mute to say anything.
"Wait wait! You have applied eyeliner before at someone?"
"Yeah."
Hawwww!
"Who?" I questioned, my tone unknowingly a bit edgy.
Passing a half-amused smile, he replied, "Isha."
Oh.
"When she was in school, all the functions whether of school or family, she would announce bossily at home that nobody but Adi bhai will do her makeup. So I was the one who does her makeup always, which included this black-black, lipstick, and some lipstick smudged on her cheeks as well as eyes. Though mom would always be around, guiding me while doing all this." He explained, shrugging his shoulders.
"Achaaa" I extended, suddenly feeling better, and closed my eyes indicating him to apply his black-black.
Though each time I would feel eyeliner on me, I would interrupt him,
"Aditya dhyan se."
"Aditya you are so slow."
"Aditya, don't mess it up."
"Aditya ho gya?"
"Aditya don't keep it too thin!"
"Aditya don't overdo it."
"Don't smudge it okay?"
"Aditya.." Before I could speak further, he cut me off,
"Damn! Will you shut up woman?" He spoke, his voice super annoyed, "Instructing me every second" He sulked, "Pakkka you are either my second mom or some long-lost daughter of mom in the previous life." Grumbling, he kept applying eyeliner on my eyes, making me pout in defense.
"Stop pouting now." He admonished lightly, thus leaving me with no choice but to sit silently.
"Phew! Done." He sighed after a few minutes, relieved, and blew air continuously on my closed eyes.
Opening my eyes, I took a closer look at his art, to review how he has dolled me up.
"How's it?" Aditya's hopeful voice fell into my ears.
"Good job husband!" I remarked satisfied and got up from the stool.
The eyeliner wasn't perfect, but still, it was more than perfect for me. Maybe it was these little things that he always does that hold more value for me than anything else.
"Thank you." I smiled, stealing a glance at him as he leaned against the cupboard with his arms crossed and his eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Don't you think it's a pretty dry thank you, missus?" He raised his eyebrows once,
"I haven't done such unsatisfactory job that I don't even deserve a nice thank you." He remarked innocently, suggestively gazing at me, and the corner of his lips quirked up in a playful smile.
I stood just opposite him and leaned against the closed washroom door, my both hands at the back, Biting my lips, I whispered, "Bribing is a crime."
"It isn't when you are taking bribe from your own wife." He retorted immediately, his tone challenging.
"What do you want?" I posed, staring at him.
"You'll give me whatever I say?" He asked in return.
"Depends how big your demand is."
"Nothing much." He paused, and gazed at me,
" A hug would do." He whispered, caging me with his intense gaze.
I gaped at him unbelievingly, suddenly shy of his presence, "Aditya!" I exclaimed, partly whining, partly blushing.
"Uncomfortable?" He queried, sincerely.
"No!!" The words left my mouth effortlessly.
"Then come." He whispered again, extending his right hand towards me.
******
Aditya's Pov
She held my hand a second or two later, but stood still, too conscious of taking a step closer to me. I lightly pulled her in my direction, making her gasp inaudibly. Placing both her hands on my shoulders, I stood still, a decent distance amidst us.
"I am waiting." I hushed gently, my hands still at my sides, waiting for her to make the next move.
She neared me, taking one last unrushed step to eliminate the remaining distance amidst us, her mild-fruity fragrance intoxicating my senses. Her chocolate brown eyes filled with pure shyness, and her beautiful blushful smile captivating me.
Dragging both her hands off my shoulder, she gently placed her head on my chest and wounded her arms around me lightly.
Embracing her, I cocooned her in my arms, my one hand tenderly rounding her shoulder, and the other loosely placed on her waist, our hearts thudding wildly, and our breathing, soft, slow, and rhythmic.
God. I am going to die.
It wasn't a tight, passionate hug, instead, it was a warm, serene hug.
We have our lives to passionately show our feelings to one another, but this, this is all I need for now. No matter how underrated this gesture is, but embracing her in my arms is something I would not trade anything for.
The whirlwind of emotions I feel right now is overwhelmingly surreal, inexplicably comforting, and unadulteratedly beautiful.
"Damn, It feels home." A hushed whisper escaped my lips, as I became accustomed to her fragrance, her touch, and her, while she pressed her face more in my chest.
"It does." Her cheeks tinted, tinted like crimson, crimson as the setting sun. She raised her head to peer at me, chin perched over chest, her browns dazzling with swirls of adoration.
A gorgeous blushful smile graced her lips again, the moment I kissed her forehead tenderly, still cocooning her in my arms.
"Bhaiyyaaaaa, Bhabhiiiiii!!!" Isha and Kunal's shrill voice broke our moment, as we looked towards the door instantly, which they have been knocking incessantly.
Kissing the side of her head, I loosened my hold on her, suddenly missing her presence around me.
"Chalein? We are already late." I asked.
"Uh, yeah" She replied, dodging any eye contact with me, while I sauntered in the direction of the door to unlock it.
*****
Riya's Pov
"Arey arey arey!" I shrieked softly, as soon as Kunal bent forward in front of me wishing me good morning and to take my blessings.
"Kunal yaar, I am of your age. Don't make me feel old." I whined, palming my face in disbelief.
"Sorry bhabhi, but mom's order. She said I am supposed to take your blessings every day from now on." He reasoned, shrugging casually.
"Don't worry I'll still hug you." He hugged me from the side, while I looked at certain someone at the mention of a hug, to see him already staring at me, our eyes talking on their own.
"You forgot me." Isha puckered her lips in complain.
Laughing I pulled her in a hug too, "Good morning." I wished while Kunal got busy whispering something in Aditya's ears, and my husband smacking him on his ribs time and again.
"Bhabhi? Slept well?" Kunal's voice reached my ears.
Pouting a little, I answered, "No yaar, couldn't sleep the whole night!"
Aditya slapped his forehead as soon as these words left my mouth, while Isha began coughing uncontrollably, and Kunal peered at me with a teasing smile.
Huh? What?
"Bhabhi whole night?" Kunal suggestively wiggled his brows.
"Yea.." Before I could complete the sentence, realization dawned on me, and my eyes widened in embarrassment.
Such a tubelight you are, Rii.
"Yaar." Mortified, I scurried to the dressing room to dodge their suggestive comments.
Peals of laughter followed me, adding more to my embarassment.
Pagal hai tu Rii, Rii.
*******
"We went to the temple in the morning, then I made suji ka halwa for everyone, then my mooh dikhayi happened, and, umm, in the afternoon was just surrounded by everyone. Basss, and now I am talking to all of you." I shrugged, reciting my day's routine to my family at Hoshiarpur, looking at their tired, faces.
Mom smiled at me, "This place looks empty without you beta." She whispered, her voice quavering, and her eyes twinkling with unshed tears, and I gulped a ball of nerves hearing her.
Everyone's demeanor transformed from smiling to sullen in a second, "Offo, don't worry mom, your favorite child will come there in two days, and vaise bhi you should feel happy na that I am not there to eat your brain all day." I reasoned jokily, trying to calm the emotional storm within me.
"Yeah, yeah, I am absolutely happy with you gone, whole day you used to keep irritating me. Ayaansh bhai this, bhai that. At least there's peace at home!" Bhai exclaimed, a relieved expression on his face, while bhabhi slapped him on his hands chiding for jesting with me.
"Paaaaaa, see see what he's is saying." Scowling I pointed in my brother's direction, "Let me come home, and ruin your peace you are so happy about. And dare you, if you touch anything in my room. Kalyugi!" I glared at him, while everyone laughed at me, an admiring look on their faces.
"Oye Ayaansh, na b." Paa scolded(fake) Ayaansh bhai, as always.
I looked at the wall clock to see it's already been half an hour of us talking,
"Acha chalo bye now. Don't worry for me, I am okay here and happy, and everyone is loving and friendly here. Oh yes, your Aditya Ji is also good. And yeah, before you all instruct, I know in case anything happens, I'll inform you and will not hide anything from you. Acha ab jao sab, and let me go too." They shook their head at my animated babble, making me giggle too.
"Ta-Ta-Ta-ta, Boo-boo-boo" My nephew spoke suddenly, occasionally joining his hands, a gesture he recently learned that meant namaste. He kept jumping on bhabhi's lap eagerly as if wanting to run to his boo-boo.
Waving my hands towards my family, and passing one last smile, I cut the video call, despite my heart sinking with each second passing.
I didn't tell them, because I knew it will upset them more, but despite Aditya' family being so welcoming and loving, I still felt like an outsider the whole day, and no matter how hard you try to get involved with everyone, still, there are few formalities here and there, that bounds you as a newlywed woman, and this whole ordeal becomes even tougher when your husband cannot be around you all the time.
It will take time, I know. It will take time for me to wholly accept this home as mine, these people as mine, and these relationships as mine. And I somehow know there's no rush, no hurry to get into this acceptance phase on the first day itself, all I need is a little time.
Just some time.
You know its kind of similar to the situation when you simply can't get comfortable at a new place in a minute of arriving, you take your own sweet time to get accustomed to the environment, likewise, I know I won't be able to accept this unexplored city, this unknown place, these unfamiliar faces so easily, but I also know, Once I'll accept them fully, theirs no turning back, ever.
I kept seated on our bed, the day's events flashing in front of my eyes. The day was filled with countless blessings, abundant teasings, stolen glances, suggestive remarks, and a few awkward encounters.
I have been given priceless blessings today, but also few unwanted, unneeded suggestions, biased blessings, rude remarks, judgemental whispers and overly-observant stares from the people I was least aware of who they were.
"May God bless you beta, and bless us with a little Aditya soon."
"You must try to conceive within a year beta!"
"Aditya likes this, try doing it, it will make him happy."
"You would do a job after marriage, here in Delhi?"
"Achaa, so you are a teacher."
"Your in-laws are nice people, quite lucky you are."
"You are too thin beta, don't you eat anything?"
"Eat this beta, You aren't going to get fat just by eating."
"The nayi bahu's complexion is a little dusky haina."
"Aditya is around Riya from the morning, abhi se he is so concerned about his wife."
"Aditya beta when can we expect the good news?"
When a woman isn't married, everyone is behind her to get hitched.
Once she gets married, she's expected to have a child within a year itself.
And if she doesn't get pregnant within a decent span of two years, they doubt her ability to conceive.
Fortunately, when she gets pregnant, all the society wants is a male child and a fair child.
Once she has a baby, they want the woman to try for another baby as soon as possible, because they feel that two children could be brought up easily.
And then, they keep on telling you how to keep your husband and in-laws happy, how to take care of your child, and how and whom to prioritize in your life, work, or home.
Sadly, it's a vicious circle of endless expectations that society puts on you, that goes on and on, on and on.
It's limitless, it's inevitable and it's unending.
And not only the woman, but the man himself keeps succumbing to what society feels is right for us, probably them.
And it's just been a day of me being married, and I've seen the demo already, and I know I have to face this overly expectant, incomparably intellectual, and high values society for the rest fo my life, no matter what.
One thing I've learned today, that few things in life don't have a solution, this whole ordeal being one of those.
The least we can do is to stay strong, stay firm, and practice ignorance towards the people who meddle into the personal lives of an individual, and ruin their mental and emotional peace.
Not every puzzle could be answered, with society being one of the most complicated puzzles, a person could ever come across.
Because whether you agree or not, but in one way or the other, our insecurities, our apprehensions, our fears, our boundaries, our mindsets, our do's, our don'ts, and our trepidation are all directed to the very root, that is what society assumes to be right is.
It's always about that chaar log, their chaar baatein, and chaar jagah that holds the power to ruin your mental peace, even it's for a minute, but it does, it surely does.
"Oye what are you thinking." Aditya's voice sneaked into my thoughts, thus halting the monogues I've been doing lately.
"About You!" I voiced teasingly, not wanting to tell the actual thoughts surfacing my mind.
"What about me?" Narrowing his eyes doubtfully, he asked.
"Ummm..that how lucky you are to have me in your life, as your wife." I stuck my tongue out playfully.
Shaking his head at my self-praising sessions, he went to the dressing room, amusedly mumbling, Paagal.
"I heard that!" I called out offended.
"Paagal!" He said again winking, intentionally irritating me, making me giggle more than getting annoyed.
Smiling, he went to the washroom, while I kept staring in his direction unfazed, knowing well that with him by my side, we'll fight everything that comes our way, and a time will come when no society and their judgements would matter, and if there's anything that would, It would be us.
Just Us.
******
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